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Management of roadside vegetation, road-island planting and slope cover

Conference Paper · July 2014

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 Management of roadside vegetation, road-island planting and slope
cover
V. Kollarou* and G. Kollaros
Democritus University of Thrace, Dept. of Civil Engineers, Vas. Sofias 12, 67100, Xanthi, Greece

*Corresponding author: E-mail: bkollarou@yahoo.gr, tel +30 25410 29752

Abstract
Because the roadside green may turn to be an optical oasis for the driver and the fellow passengers,
it must be properly designed. Depending on road type and the permissible speed, the design length
with similar types of plants has to vary. In large road arteries and when the landscape passed by the
street is interesting and beautiful then openings of view are provided. Special care should be paid
for the roadside plants to offer to the driver seasonality (color), pleasant odours, and visual
experiences. The intermediary green of separating road-islands should be capable in the evening to
interrupt lights of the opposite moving vehicles and has to consist of plants with coloured leafage or
flowers. Slope erosion in the roadside region can be controlled using proper maintenance of green
or by applying new planting. Roadside environments and islands have been studied in the broader
area of Xanthi District. The trees and plants to be used have been selected and characterized.

Key words: slope, vegetation, road-island, maintenance, management

1. INTRODUCTION

According to Webster's dictionary definition, a State or County roadside program consisting of

blanket spraying, wall-to-wall mowing and monoculture seeding is technically an integrated
program. All roadside programs are integrated. This form of integration applies to the diversity of
practices used to manage roadside vegetation. It blends three practices to form a whole. These three
practices, however, do not rank very high on the sustainability chart. The program they form is
more hole than whole. Fortunately, many countries have discovered a whole lot more can be done
in highway’s surrounding space [1].

Public works ministries are discovering there are more plants with which to work, more tools to use,
more interests to serve, more resources to protect, more principles to apply and more people to
involve. As countries attempt to realize the benefits of such multi-faceted management regions, they
begin the process of developing truly integrated roadside vegetation management programs. A
primary goal is reducing herbicide use. People care about ground water protection. A real way of
addressing these concerns is through integrated vegetation. Lowering costs and beautifying the zone
around highways are two more important goals. With locally-adapted, naturally-beautiful native
plants as the cornerstone of the program, all three of these worthwhile goals could be achieved.

Since weeds are opportunistic plants that readily colonize disturbed areas, disturbance prevention is
an important tool. Weed prevention means including the help of adjacent landowners in order to
minimize erosion and chemicals from farming and residential development. In the process,
landowners will better understand the relationship between their actions and the weeds that show up
in the roadside. Herbicide use is reduced by spraying smarter. That means improved chemicals
applied at the proper time with trained applicators who know the difference between weeds and
wildflowers. Before going after a particular weed, alternatives to chemical weed control have to be
considered. The management practices include: (a) evaluating each site to determine if weeds really
present a problem, (b) removing a disturbance and allowing nearby desirable species to reclaim the

Proceedings of the 12th International Conference on Protection and Restoration of the Environment 647
Editors: A. Liakopoulos, A. Kungolos, C. Christodoulatos, A. Koutsopsyros
ISBN 978-960-88490-6-8
area, (c) spot-mowing to prevent annual weed seed production, (d) prescribed burning of prairie
communities to promote healthy vegetation, and (e) use of biological controls as alternatives.

Besides controlling weeds, today's comprehensive roadside program must integrate a wide range of
issues like protecting soil and water, beautifying the surroundings, protecting rare plants, or
providing for wildlife. It could be said that integrated roadside vegetation management is a
decision-making and quality management process for maintaining roadside vegetation that
integrates (a) needs of local communities and highway users, (b) knowledge of plant ecology (and
natural processes), (c) design, construction and maintenance considerations, (d) government statutes
and regulations, and (e) technology with cultural, biological, mechanical and chemical pest control
methods to economically manage roadsides for safety plus environmental and visual quality.

2. PLANTING THE ROADSIDE, MEDIANS AND ROAD ISLANDS

Ornamental plant species which have aesthetic value and pollution tolerance are recommended for
planting along the roads (Table 1, data adapted from Singh, 2013 [2] and Kumar et al. 2013 [3]).
Since the plants grown along roadsides, road dividers traffic islands are closer to automobile
exhaust their capacity for pollution tolerance should be considered before selection.

Table 1 Plants for roadside, road divider and traffic island plantation

Plants along the Road Sides Plants for Road Dividers

Acacia auriculiformis or A. nilotica Acalypha wilkesiana
Ailanthus excelsa Bougainvillea spectabilis
Albizzia lebbeck Caesalpinia pulcherrima
Alstonia macrophylla Callistemon lanceolatus
Anogeissus sericea Callistemon polandii
Azadirachta indica Cassia surattensis
Bauhinia acuminate Duranta plumeri
Bauhinia purpurea Euphorbia milli
Butea monosperma Haemilia patens
Cassia fistula Hibiscus rosa – sinensis
Cassia marginata Ixora coccinea
Cassia siamea Jatropha panduraefolia
Ceiba pentandra Lantana camara
Dalbergia latifolia Lantana depressa
Dalbergia sissoo Neruim oleander
Emblica officinalis Vinca rosea
Eucalyptus globulus
Ficus benghalensis Plants for Traffic Islands
Ficus religiosa Bougainvillea cultivars
Guazuma ulmifolia Neruim oleander
Lagerstroemia duperreana Cycas revoluta
Lagerstroemia rosea Plumbago capensis
Lagerstroemia flosreginae Hibiscus geranioides
Tamarindus indica Themeda triandra
Nandina domestica “Nana”
Polyathia longifolia
Pongamia pinnata
Tectona grandis
Terminalia arjuna
Thespesia populnea

648
In recent times there has been significant increase in vehicular traffic. This has resulted in increased
concentration of air pollutants like NO2, SO2, CO, CO2 and suspended particles. Planting of trees
and shrubs for abatement of pollution and improvement of environment is an effective way. Some
plants can be planted as avenue trees to impart scenic beauty to the spots. Researchers have
identified potential roadside vegetative barriers for moderating concentrations of air borne
pollutants emitted by vehicular traffic [2]. Studies have found wide range of health effects including
respiratory illness, cardiac effects, adverse birth and development outcomes, cancer and premature
mortality [3]. In addition to their potential to improve air quality and manage wind flows, vegetative
barriers can modulate flooding and droughts, reduce sediments and toxins through groundwater
filtration, and moderate temperature thereby reducing global warming and urban heat island effects.

Roadside plantation (trees/shrubs/herbs) can contribute significantly in mitigating pollution [4] but
there are certain issues which should be taken into account while developing green patches along
roadsides, road dividers, and traffic islands. Criteria for the selection of plants on road dividers,
roadsides, and traffic islands include
i. The plant should be of such a type that it has not high irrigation demands.
ii. The plants grown on road dividers, along road sides and traffic islands should have slow growth
rate. They should not need frequent trimming.
iii. The plants should be able to withstand severe climatic conditions.
iv. The grasses as groundcover on the road dividers/pavement should not be uprooted and removed.
They can be trimmed and allowed to grow as they hold the top soil and control the erosion
through wind/water and particulate matter.

Drought resistant trees and shrubs are generally tolerant to pollution [5]. Selection of plants species
is an important task. For plant selection, it is necessary to consider the following factors:
i. Agro-climatic suitability, height and canopy architecture, growth rate and habit, aesthetic effect
(foliage, conspicuous and attractive flower colour) and pollution tolerance.
ii. Dust scavenging capacity:

The following measures can be taken for maintenance of road dividers and traffic islands:
i. Extend vegetation or mounding of earth, blocks, or bricks 20 cm above the top of curb height.
ii. Limit vegetation or mounding to a maximum height of 60 cm above the pavement surface
within the functional area of intersection to ensure sight distance lines are preserved.
iii. Design slide slopes within the road dividers no steeper than 1:3 and preferably flatter.
iv. Select and trim trees to provide a clear height of 3.0 m above the pavement surface and 5.0 m
above the travel way.
v. Consider planter boxes/pots rather than continuous vegetation to reduce maintenance.
vi. Narrow road dividers tend to be a problem for maintenance personnel and irrigation
vii. Consider paving, stone or other bare surface material in gore (a triangular piece of land, where
roads merge or split) areas less than 3.0 m wide.
viii. Design planter strips to provide structural support for mowing maintenance.

Medians, either raised or painted, provide a physical separation between opposing traffic flows.
They also provide a refuge area for pedestrians to wait at crossing locations. Medians are a standard
form of channelization at rural roadways and urban street intersections carrying four or more lanes.
There are two principal functions of medians specifically located at intersections: (a) Separating
opposing traffic flows, and (b) Providing storage for vehicles making left and U-turns and vehicles
crossing traffic and shielding pedestrians. Another important benefit of a median in an urban area is
that it offers a green space for trees and low-growing plant material. Careful consideration is
needed, however, to select the proper location and type of plantings (Table 1). Particularly in
narrow medians, plantings can create maintenance problems, and trees can cause visual obstructions
if not carefully located [6, 7].
649
 Pictures 1, 2 Roadside vegetation clearly defines the route [7]

Pictures 3, 4 Planting islands and medians [7]

3. SLOPE COVER VEGETATION

Soil stabilisation and reinforcement in inclined field are probably one of least recognized and not-
quantified effects that wooded tree and shrub roots have on the ground. The mechanical
mechanisms of vegetation used in order to stabilize an inclined ground are shown in Table 2. The
main mechanical effects which could be used as input parameters in running processes of marginal
balance for the analysis of slopes stability could be summarized as:
(a) added effective cohesion due to vegetation,
(b) increase of slice weight due to vegetation,
(c) tensile reinforcing force from the roots in the base of each slice,
(d) wind force,
(e) unstrained soil strength changes due to moisture removal from the vegetation, and
(f) variations in water pore pressure.

In a research study [7] for the slope stability in road works in Thrace, different species of trees and
bushes are suggested, along with various features and their pollution tolerance. The main plants
used for slope stabilization in Xanthi District are: Cupressus arizonica, Cupressus macrocarpa,
Cupressus sempervirens f. sempervirens (Picture 5), Cupressus sempervirens f. horizontalis,
Lantana camara, Limoniastrum monopetalum, Medicago arborea (Picture 6), Nerium oleander,
Olea europea, Phlomis fruticosa, Pinus pinea, Pinus halepensis, Pistacia lentiscus, Pittosporum
tobira, Pittosporum Sinensis, Prunus laurocerasus, Ribes grossularia, Robinia pseudoacacia,
Spartium junceum, Spiraea x multiflora, Syringa vulgaris, Taxus baccata, and Vitex agnus-castus.

650
 Table 2 Effect of vegetation on slope stability

Mechanism Effect
Hydrological
• The leafage intercepts the rain, causing water absorption and evaporation, a fact Favourable
which decreases the available for percolation rain water
• Roots increase soils permeability, increasing their percolation capability Unfavourable
• Roots contribute to moisture removal from the soil; through transpiration Favourable
moisture is transferred to the atmosphere, resulting in smaller pore pressures.
• Moisture removal from the ground may contribute in the growth of cracks in it, Unfavourable
causing an increase of the percolation capability.
Mechanical
• Roots reinforce the soil, increasing its shear strength. Unfavourable
• Tree roots, when developed and supported in a compact sub-layer, support the Favourable
surface soil layer towards the slope’s ascent via buttress-arcs.
• Trees weight loads the slope, increasing the normal and the parallel to the Favourable
down-slope component.
• Vegetation exposed to wind transfers dynamic loads to the slope. Unfavourable
• Roots retain soil grains on the surface, lowering its erodibility. Favourable

Out of these plant types, Spartium junceum (Picture 7) is used widely in national roads slopes,
which is an angiospermous, dicotyledon plant. It is a bush which originates from the Mediterranean
region and it reaches 2 m in height. It is an evergreen plant with particular radical system, which
reaches 1 m in-depth and has about 2 m secondary roots width. Consequently, is rendered ideal to
both withhold the slope grains, stabilizing it, and absorb concentrating waters. Olea europea and
Pinus halepensis are evergreen, very resistant to urban pollution trees, growing in any kind of soil.

Medicago arborea

Cupressus sempervirens Spartium junceum

Pictures 5, 6, 7 Plants appropriate for slope stability [8, 9, 10]
651
 4. CONCLUSIONS

With ever increasing use of roads for transportation in modern life, the roadside vegetation has
become one of the major elements of the roadside environment which people experience on a
frequent basis. A properly designed and established roadside planting makes the road safe, pleasant
for the driver and passengers, protective for vehicles and most of all inexpensive for its
maintenance.

Roadside development encompasses sustainable design and installation of landscape elements to

integrate the transportation facility into the surrounding environment. The resource management
includes assessment protection of mitigation strategies for highways projects with reference to
cultural and natural resources. Road pavements, road dividers, traffic islands are the important
components of the road management Landscaping enhances both the visibility and the visual
quality of the road dividers. The two major concerns with landscaping are sight distance and its
maintenance. Sight distance concerns are crucial in terms of signalised and un-signalized
intersections. The maintenance concern includes the labour safety accessibility and cost.

Planting guidelines have to be prepared by the Greek Ministry of Public works. They must be based
on assumptions and recommendations taking into account that roadside vegetation should be
designed or maintained to accomplish specific goals of sight-distance, clear view of obstructions,
erosion control, and aesthetics, plants must not be planted where they may obstruct any signs,
sightlines, or driver visibility, plant use in intersection areas must be limited to low-growing
varieties, plants must not be placed near merging lanes, landscape improvements must avoid the
creation of unsafe conditions for motorists or maintenance personnel.

References

1. National Cooperative Highway Research Program NCHRP Synthesis 341. (2005). Integrated
Roadside Vegetation Management A Synthesis of Highway Practice. Transportation Research
Board, Washington DC. p. 89.
2. Singh, V. (2013). Road Development and Management with Reference to Pollution.
International Journal of Geology, Earth and Environmental Sciences. Vol. 3, No. 1, pp. 23-28.
3. Kumar, S.R., Arumugam, T., Anandakumar, C.R., Balakrishnan, S. and Rajavel, D.S. (2013)
Use of Plant Species in Controlling Environmental Pollution- A Review. Bulletin of
Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences. Vol. 2, No. 2, pp. 52-63.
4. Kollaros, G. and Athanasopoulou, A. (2013). Roadside Improvements to Mitigate Traffic Noise.
4th International CEMEPE & SECOTOX Conference, pp. 910-915.
5. Sharma, S.C. and Roy, RK. (1999). Bioremediation of Urban Environmental Pollution by
Ornamentals. Environmental News. Vol. 5, No. 4, 1 p.
6. NCHRP Report 650. (2010). Median Intersection Design for Rural High-Speed Divided
Highways. Transportation Research Board, National Research Council, National Academy
Press, Washington, DC.
7. Athanasopoulou, A. and Kollarou, V. (2010). Slope Stability – Plant Coverage Techniques.
Research Program, Democritus University of Thrace, 84 p.
8. http://www.cnseed.org/cupressus-sempervirens-seed.html
9. http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/shrubs/index.html
10. http://www.uhu.es/51038/images/fotos/arbustos/spartium/394ret_amar.jpg

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